Conventional tools such as drill bits for cutting holes in a work piece have pointed tips that position the centers of the holes to be drilled. A drill bit with a pointed tip and no means to ensure lateral stability tends to wander as it finds the center of the hole and thereby exerts a lateral force against its side wall. The result is a drilled hole that is of nonuniform diameter along its length and often has an inadequate smoothness of surface finish. Moreover, slight eccentricity in the rotation of the chuck holding the drill bit exacerbates the lateral deflection of the drill bit path and further contributes to the dimensional imprecision of the drilled hole. Dimensional imprecision also results from the generation in the material a significant amount of heat caused by the lateral force exerted by the drill bit.
A consequence of drilling holes with imprecise dimensions is the inability to drill a pair of side-by-side holes with a thin partition between them. In the case of a lathe tool, the application of lateral force to remove material from the work piece can cause distortion of the work piece as it is being cut.